Heartworms

7digitalWhat we said:Where once The Shins were synonymous with Zach Braff-approved indie-folk, their founder and frontman, James Mercer, has purposely expanded his musical horizons in recent years, both by assembling a revamped line-up and collaborating with Danger Mouse as Broken Bells. For the follow-up to 2012’s Greg Kurstin-produced Port Of Morrow, Mercer is as intent on keeping listeners guessing musically and lyrically, whether that’s dabbling in country-pop on ‘Mildenhall’ or addressing his struggles with anxiety on ‘The Fear’. What remains constant, however, is Mercer’s innate melodicism, which doesn’t waver for one moment of this, his fifth full-length.